


Bonds that break

by wanderingsmith



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Au no one dies, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 07:23:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6844729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderingsmith/pseuds/wanderingsmith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Thorin!  We just spent blood and tears to get you home-"<br/>Thorin turned from his first steps toward a distant Balin, his smile already replaced by the distracted, serious look of someone making plans even as he spoke, "You should find Bofur.  Tell him I told you to tell him to tell you of Ones."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bonds that break

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I ain't got no money, and nobody'd be daft enough to pay me for this. As it is thought, so let it be said; you make the toys, I play with 'em.
> 
> This was written probably 2 years ago.. I just kept waiting for the rest to appear. But it isn't going to, obviously. So.. Let each of you continue it in your own minds as you will.

Thorin limped slowly through the half-rebuilt great gates, Bilbo walking at his side, his worried watchfulness obvious.

When they were into the courtyard, Thorin paused to stare and Bilbo echoed him, opening his arms wide and turning to him with a proud smile, pulling Thorin's attention, "Well. It took a few false starts, but: welcome home, my king. Dragon dead, first wave of settlers working on cleaning things up, allies in the valley. You're home." 

And Thorin smiled, soft but wide, first at his hobbit, then while slowly gazing around. 

 

His voice was almost tender, and quiet, as from a deep well, when he finally repeated, "Home." 

Bilbo blinked, trying to keep the sudden burning in his eyes from leaking out. The relaxed peace he finally got to see settling over his friend's features was heartbreaking. Heartbreaking to think the dwarf had had so many years of pain before this moment. 

But his king finally had his home! And Bilbo had helped bring him here.

"Well. A job we've all done well, if I do say so myself." He took his own look around, balancing on his heels, fingers curling into the burnt and worn coat Bard's family had gifted him, so long ago; for a moment feeling as though he were back home, chatting with Hamfast in front of the Green Dragon as they watched their neighbours bustle about. For all that it was dwarrows hurrying back and forth, here, with cheerful purpose, shouting and singing, hammers ringing. 

Every moment some new section of wall was raised or fixed; a mountain coming to life. He nodded, keeping his smile firmly in place and turning back to the king, that other life fading from his thoughts like fog in the morning, "Gandalf tells me he knows of a path that should still be open to get to the Shire, so I'll be heading back. No doubt it'll be an unpleasant road, but I've been gone quite a while now." The Lady only knew what had happened to Bag End in his unplanned absence. 

Dealing with it all would hopefully keep his attention from wandering far to the East.

Thorin seemed to freeze. Not pale but.. slump slightly, his smile fade. Before Bilbo could frown and question it, he seemed to resettle, his smile regaining its peace, his voice still as tender, "I hope it is not too rough a road, I do not think my ribs are yet up to it."

Now Bilbo did frown, hands going to his hips as he growled, "Your ribs are going nowhere but your bed, watched over by Óin until they are actually healed!"

Thorin watched him with that quiet smile for a moment before he turned as though looking for someone, "If you and the wizard will but give me a day to settle my affairs, I am certain Gandalf will find us a safe path."

"Thorin! *What* are you talking about?? *You*, are staying *here*! We just spent blood and tears to get you home-"

Thorin turned from his first steps toward a distant Balin, his smile already replaced by the distracted, serious look of someone making plans even as he spoke, "And the dwarrows of Erebor *have* their home and are grateful. But for myself..." For a moment he stared at Bilbo with the oddest look the hobbit had yet seen on those bearded features. Though.. for some reason he was reminded of That Hug. Then Thorin shook his head, looking as though he were berating himself, then focused on Bilbo again, "For myself... you should find Bofur. Tell him I told you to tell him to tell you of Ones."

And before Bilbo could explode about confounded dwarrows, the king was walking away. Not nearly at his usual pace, but far too quickly for the pain Bilbo knew he was in.

\-----------------------------------

"Bofur?"

The hatted dwarf looked up from his soup bowl with his usual cheerful smile, "Aye, Bilbo?"

"Thorin said to tell you that he says to tell me about ones."

Bofur blinked a few times, for a moment unable to help himself from trying to parse that sentence. Then he shook his head sharply and gave it up. "Ones?"

"That is what he said. What ones, I have no idea-"

"No no! I understand which Ones. I was just.. surprised." Bofur cleared his throat, deciding where to start. "Well.. You see. Dwarrows can be a mite stubborn-" he chose to ignore the snort from his companion of many months' journey, "And when Mahal made us, he knew that left to our own devices, we might never get around to looking up from our precious crafts and taking a mate and having littles. Therefor he creates most dwarrows with their souls all twisted up with another, so when we're born, our souls are shaped awaiting their matching half. Their One." 

Even while he repeated the old tale, there was a part of Bofur's brain thinking of the ramifications of *why* he'd been asked to tell their burglar this particular dwarven secret. And Bilbo's gasp told him the hobbit was only now finally coming to the same realization. "Not all dwarrows find their match, and some don't realize it when do they find them. Some say the instant they met, they felt their soul echo and ring and rejoice. Others I watched know each other for years before they stopped one day in the middle of one of their usual spats, and finally recognized the bond that had grown between them."

"Bond?"

"Aye. Once you find your One and.. your heart recognizes, *cleaves* to them... your souls start to knit themselves back up together as they were meant to be. Now, once they're all patched up, you can separate for long periods just fine, like Glóin and his love have during this quest, and the worst you suffer is missing each other and missing the support and comfort of half of your soul. But while the bond is being made, distance is.. death." He made sure he was watching their hobbit as he said that. And wasn't surprised to see him stiffen and pale. "Say, here to Dale, would probably be fine. But even as far as the Woodland Realm... Neither dwarf would survive. They'd begin to feel pain, then weakness, like a bad fever; seen that with my own eyes. And we're told that between a few hours or a few days later, if they remain apart, they'd die in their sleep. Mahal did not wish for potential mates to casually turn away from each other."

\------------------------

Bilbo was still shaky as he walked slowly through the hallways of Erebor. If Thorin had sent him to Bofur for what seemed like the only possible reason... Then.. the dwarf would have died from banishing Bilbo. And now... Bilbo stopped walking. *IF* this was the case... could he stay in Erebor? For however long it took? As no more than a friend? Was that.. Thorin, the *king*, had never offered any... any 'interest'. Obviously believing a person your One did not actually necessarily mean a dwarf wished to spend their life with them. Because.. surely Thorin would have *said* if...

He had not paid attention to his path and was surprised when he suddenly heard Balin's high voice from a nearby doorway.

"Aye, it'll do. With this we'll keep things calm until Lady Dís comes, and no one will argue *her* claim to the lad's regency until you return."

The reply as Bilbo ambled closer, hoping he could ask his friend's opinion, was in a familiar deep voice that froze the hobbit. Though he could not hear the more rumbling voice, Bilbo found himself scrambling to recall Balin's exact words, even as he blushed to be essentially spying.

"But.. Ye can return, once..."

By now Bilbo was close enough to hear Thorin's response, surprised at the almost hurt tone, "Have I not.. earned enough for my people to... to court my One, Balin? Fíli will be ready to rule by the time the bond is stable enough to separate. I would.. I do not- I destroyed any chance at the right to ask this of Bilbo... Yet I cannot.. I cannot, Balin, *not* try. He has.. he has been kinder than I deserved these last weeks. I cannot help myself from praying he might.. that I might find.. that he might come to look on me kindly enough to allow me to remain at his side."

Bilbo nearly could not hear Balin's answer over the rushing of his blood, the babble of rising joy within him. *Court*!! Oh he had one of three words to say to his king for not speaking up before! Unless.. If he had not known until after... Bilbo grimaced, glee quieting, acknowledging that it would be difficult for anyone to bring up such a topic after The Gate.

"If.. Well. I.. thought ye were not interested and were only going with him to wait out the bond. But if you've a mind to win him, which I think you aught, laddie, indeed I do! But then, why not ask him to stay here? Surely you know he would if he knew he was truly wanted and would have a place!"

"..I cannot ask him to abandon his home, Balin. Not after... The Shire is a good place, his home a cozy one. If he is kind enough to allow me, I would find peace there. Easier than a lone hobbit in a cold mountain in need of a great many repairs, whose once-green slopes will be dead for years to come. I have no complaint Balin. Erebor is reclaimed and our people no longer exiled, her throne secured by my family. I am well-content to retire in that knowledge."

From his position sitting at the foot of the wall next to the door, Bilbo heard Balin sigh in resignation, "It will be as you say, my king."

The sound of familiar slow footsteps approaching from inside the room made him tense, but he had not intended to spy. And would not run from this conversation. 

Thorin, obviously past the point where he needed to be returned to bed, did not even see him before turning down the hall away from him. Bilbo pushed himself up, voice even. "Balin is right; I would stay here if I have a place." He almost regretted speaking when Thorin jerked in surprise and then flinched in pain. The hobbit hurried over to slide himself under the king's good arm to take some of his weight, scowling at the stubborn dwarf.

Thorin frowned back, "Why would you not have one? You are part of Thorin's Company."

Bilbo was tempted to stop them at the next hallway chair, but the lines of strain around Thorin's mouth were too deep: he needed to lay down. He only hoped they would make it to the royal chambers, "There was nothing in the contract about being given a home. Why would I expect welcome in a dwarven mountain? And in any case, I've no desire to be a spoiled hobbit of leisure among hustling and bustling dwarrows."

Thorin shook his head slowly, frown turning worried on those sickly-pale features, "You found your place in the Company, you would find it among my people as well. Whether as- Anything that you enjoy to do, there will be a need and gratitude for it in Erebor. But.. You wished to go home, earlier."

Too strained by the extra weight he bore to be able to afford turning his head, Bilbo contented himself with a glare at the dusty stone passageway, "..Knowing I had to return, then yes, I would want to go sooner rather than later. My family might have already decided I am not coming back, what with the way I disappeared. They'll sell my home. My blasted cousin Lobelia has probably already stolen all father's silver. And if she has it for more than six months, by Shire law it is hers. And I would have to reacquire it."

"So you *had* burgled before."

The hobbit snorted at the hint of teasing, "No. I'd never needed to. But many hobbits would have served you well, yes." The sight of Thorin's bedchamber door made him brighten, "If I am not returning, I could simply write my cousins for the few things I'd like. Or we could go at a later date, when you are healed and things are not so unsettled. I've no intention of allowing you into harm's way, my king."


End file.
